Advanced Standing and Transfer Credit

Policies Affecting Grades and Student Record

Determination of Grade Point Average (GPA)
A letter grade of A, B, C, D, or F is assigned and for the purposes of calculating a student’s average, these are assigned a numeric point value of 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0 respectively.

The credit value of each course is multiplied by the points earned, thereby resulting in a grade point for every course. For example:

ENG 1500   – 3 credits grade of A = 3 credits x 4 points = 12 grade points
PSY 1100   – 3 credits grade of C = 3 credits x 2 points = 6 grade points
BIO 1200    – 4 credits grade of B = 4 credits x 3 points = 12 grade points
LAW 1100  – 3 credits grade of F = 3 credits x 0 points = 0 grade points
Total:            13 credits = 30 grade points

The grade point average is calculated by dividing the total grade points by the total credits. In the case illustrated above, the GPA is 2.31.

The following designations are not calculated into the grade point average (GPA):

Incomplete ( I )
The “I” designation is used when the student has not completed the course requirements for extenuating circumstances, such as illness or bereavement, and has been granted an extension of time in which to do so. An “I” is not intended to give an extension to students who have failed to satisfactorily complete the course elements within the prescribed time.

Add/Drop and Withdrawal (W)
Students have 10 days from the start of the semester to change course status. Adding a course requires the permission of the instructor. The student who drops a course by the Add/Drop date will have no mention of it on the academic record. A course dropped after that date but before the deadline for withdrawal will obtain a ‘W’ notation on the academic record. A student who drops a course after the deadline for withdrawal will obtain a grade of ‘F’ on the academic record, which will be calculated into the student average. Students who fail to formally withdraw from the college will be assigned ‘F’ grades.

The appropriate forms are available in the Office of the Registrar or from the departmental Dean/Director.

Transfer Credits (TC)
A 'TC' is not calculated into the grade point average. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate the process, either through the Academic Department or the Office of the Registrar.

Pass/Fail
These designations for certain courses, such as placements in some programs, carry no grade points and are not calculated into a grade point average.

Pass - The requirements of the course were achieved.
Fail - The course requirements were not achieved. The student must repeat the course.

Audit (AU)
Students may want to register in a credit course for general knowledge and/or other personal reasons without the obligation of completing the evaluations, which culminates in the awarding of a final grade. As such, the College provides students the opportunity to register in credit courses as audit, eliminating the grading requirements. Students registering in credit courses as audit will not be required to undertake course examinations or assignments nor will they receive a credit. The course will be recorded on the transcript and a grade of “AU” (audit) will be assigned. The course will not apply toward any Cambrian College diploma or certificate.
A student who is auditing a course may convert his/her audit status to “registered” before the deadline for registration. For full-time programs, the deadline is the tenth day of the beginning of the semester and for continuing education courses, the deadline is prior to the start of the second scheduled class. A student may not challenge a course through the Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition process after he/she has audited it.
Courses taken as audit are not considered in determining a student’s full-time or part-time enrolment status nor are they used in determining a course load for the purpose of financial aid.
Audit fees will be set through the College’s tuition fee protocol and will be consistent with the Tuition Fee Policy as established by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.
A student must declare his/her audit status through the Registrar’s Office at the time of registration and pay the appropriate course fees. This policy applies only to credit courses delivered in a classroom setting. Because of the nature of certain courses, class size restrictions, space constraints, possible legal restrictions, and/or safety factors, permission of the appropriate program coordinator/officer is required for registration with audit status.
A copy of the Auditing a Credit Course Policy may be obtained from the Office of the Registrar.

Grade Appeals
If a student wishes to appeal any final grade, he/she must provide the Registrar with the following information within 21 days of the posting of grades: the course and grade being appealed, and the reason for the appeal.

The Registrar will advise the student to discuss his/her concerns with the faculty member teaching the course and with the course Dean/Director to see if the matter can be resolved without the formal procedure. Should the appeal go forward, the committee members must be able to hear data that is measurable (i.e. the stated method of evaluation for the course and the manner in which this method was applied).

Problems such as personality conflict or harassment must either relate directly to the basis described above or be dealt with through other vehicles such as the Academic Grievance Procedure.

A copy of the Grade Appeal Policy and the Academic Grievance Procedure may be obtained from the Office of the Registrar.

Grade Reports
A semester summary for each student will be posted on Student 411 at the end of each session. To access the grade report summary visit the College website at www.cambriancollege.ca under Student 411. A printed copy of the grade report will only be sent to those students who request one, in writing, from the Office of the Registrar.

Repeated Courses
In the case of repeated courses, the best effort will be calculated into the GPA. All grades are recorded on the student’s transcript.

Academic Dishonesty
It is in the interest of all students and the College to ensure that the learning environment is free from all behaviour that would jeopardize the teaching and learning process. Such behaviour might include, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, uttering of false statements to obtain concessions, and falsification of information.

First offence: A student caught cheating for the first time will receive an automatic zero for the specific test or assignment.

Second offence: A student caught cheating for a second time, whether in the same course or a different course, will receive an automatic ‘F’ grade for that course.

Third offence: A student caught cheating for a third time, regardless of the course involved, will receive an automatic suspension from all college programs for two years.

A record of all offenses is maintained in the student record housed in the Office of the Registrar.

Student Record
The Office of the Registrar is the official repository of the student record. All requests for information should be routed through it. The College has an obligation to protect an individual’s right to privacy as described in the Freedom of Information and Right to Privacy Act, 1987. Access is strictly controlled and governed essentially by the student’s wishes and the College’s responsibility. The guidelines are described in the policy respecting the Confidentiality of Student Records available from the Offices of the Vice President, Academic, and the Registrar/ Director of Student Affairs. Students should ensure that the Office of the Registrar is notified of any and all address changes. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure the accuracy of this information in the student file.

Promotion, Graduation, and Convocation

Academic Probation Students who have a program and/or semester GPA of 1.50 or greater but less than 2.00 and/or who have one or more failing grades must meet with their Program Coordinator/Officer to explore options and develop success strategies prior to being allowed to register in the subsequent semester. Please note some programs may require a 2.00 program and/or semester GPA for promotion. See Appendix 1 for details.

Program Exit
Students who have a program GPA of 1.49 or lower will be automatically exited from their program until such time as they make up their deficiencies. Please note some programs may require a 2.00 program and/or semester GPA for promotion. See Appendix 1 for details.
Students on Academic Probation for two consecutive semesters must meet with their Program Coordinator/Officer to develop a learning contract, which will outline the conditions for a student to continue in the program.
Students will be exited from the program for at least one academic year, after three consecutive semesters of being on academic probation.
Breach of the Code of Conduct may result in a student being exited from their program even if the student is in good standing.

Program Exit Appeal
Students have the option to have the program exit decision reviewed by the Program Exit Appeal Board. The Board will consist of the Program Coordinator/Officer, the Academic Administrator and the Registrar or designate. A written request outlining the reasons or extenuating circumstances that led to the program exit must be submitted to the Program Academic Administrator within 14 calendar days of the posting of final semester grades. Board decisions will be rendered no later than the 10th day of classes in the following term.
Should the student be allowed to continue in the same program on a probationary basis as a result of an appeal, and is subsequently exited from this program, no further appeal will be allowed. A successful appeal will outline the criteria required for readmission into the program.

Readmission after being exited
Please see Admission policies

Repeated Courses
A student may repeat a failed course up to two times. A student wishing to register in a course for a third time must have approval from the Academic Administrator of the appropriate School. After the 2nd failed attempt, the student along with the Program Coordinator/Officer will prepare a ‘Learning Plan’ outlining what needs to be done to ensure success in the 3rd attempt.
Please note that some courses may not allow more than one failure. These will be noted in the course outline. After the failed attempt, the student, along with the Program Coordinator/Officer, will prepare a ‘Learning Plan’ outlining what needs to be done to ensure success in the 2nd attempt.
In situations where there is limited capacity in a placement or clinical course, a student repeating a course cannot displace another student who has progressed through his/her program unimpeded.
Students must be aware that successful completion of all courses in the program of study is required to graduate. Should a student not be able to complete a course because they have exhausted the number of available attempts, he/she will not be able to graduate.
In the case of repeated courses, only the best effort will be calculated into the program GPA. However, all grades are recorded on the student’s transcript.

Graduation Timelines
Students are usually expected to complete their program of study within the following time limits, based upon the original program or course start date:

Written approval from the Academic Administrator is required to extend these time limits. Students with disabilities may require extended time limits due to a disabling condition as verified and recommended by the Glenn Crombie Centre. Some programs may have alternate timelines as published in the college calendar.

Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) Eligibility
The administration of the Ontario Student Assistance Program stipulates that “the applicant must have maintained satisfactory scholastic standing” to continue for eligibility under the plan. In addition, Cambrian’s College’s academic policy on ‘good standing’ states that “students must maintain a program and semester grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 with no ‘F’ grades to progress unimpeded through a program curriculum.”

For these reasons, the following conditions apply to OSAP eligibility:

A student, having obtained less than a 1.50 grade point average for two consecutive semesters, will be ineligible for OSAP for one academic year of study.

Curriculum Revision/Interruption of Studies
Where curriculum revisions have occurred from a program of study, students who are making up deficiencies will follow the revised program. Should students interrupt their studies, hours earned to date (and transfer credit awarded) will be re-evaluated for relevancy within the current curriculum.
Students who extend their studies through part-time studies or who return after a break in their studies must discuss their graduation requirements with the Program Academic Administrator or designate and obtain written agreement on a continued program of study.
Students wishing to return to a program that has been suspended during their interruption of studies should consult the College’s Program Suspension Policy.

Residency
Students working towards any certificate or diploma must earn a minimum of 25 credits or 25% of that program (whichever is greater) at Cambrian College. Where a program consists of less than 25 credits, students will be required to earn a minimum of 25% of the program at Cambrian College. The courses taken must be different from courses already taken for credit toward a previous certification. Advanced standing, transfer credits and credits earned through the Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition process are not credited toward residency.

Graduation
To be eligible to graduate, students must have completed the specific course requirements of their program with a minimum program GPA of 2.00 and have no outstanding “F” or “I” grades. They must be currently registered in the graduating semester of the program from which they are graduating and cannot graduate from the same program more than once. Students wishing to graduate from the same program more the once will need to make a request in writing to the Registrar stating the reasons for this request.

Eligibility to Graduate
Each year the Office of the Registrar informs students who are registered in their graduating semester of their eligibility to graduate. Students who do not receive notification and feel they are eligible to graduate should consult the Office of the Registrar. Students are expected to acquaint themselves with the Cambrian College graduation requirements.

Graduating with Provisional Status
Certain programs are deemed to graduate students provisionally. Typically, programs whose end date extends beyond the regular end date of the academic year or programs whose final semester is scheduled to take place over the summer term are deemed as having provisional status. Students registered in these programs will be allowed to participate in the annual spring convocation ceremonies as provisional graduates. Students making up deficiencies in the May/June period or over the summer term are not eligible to graduate provisionally. Provisional status is determined at the program level and not at the student level. Students should verify with the Office of the Registrar to determine if they are eligible to graduate provisionally.

Program Declaration (Continuing Education)
Students enrolled in Continuing Education courses on a part-time basis may obtain certificates or diplomas in a variety of programs. To be eligible to graduate, students must be admissible to the program from which they wish to graduate. The admission requirements vary based on the program. Please refer to the Admission Policy for more details.
Once students have determined which program they are pursuing, they must advise the Office of the Registrar of their intent to apply their earned credits towards a particular certificate or diploma by completing a program declaration form. This form must be remitted to the Office of the Registrar no later than upon completion of 50% of the program. In addition, students wanting to graduate from a Continuing Education certificate or diploma must submit an application to graduate form to the Office of the Registrar at the beginning of his/her graduating semester.

Certificates, Diplomas, and Degrees
In accordance with the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Ontario Qualifications Framework, the College will issue the following credentials for course work that is recorded on the student’s official record.
The name appearing on the Certificate, Diploma or Degree is the official program name as approved by the College’s Board of Governors, Credential Validation Service and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities in which the student was registered at the time of graduation.

“Degree”
This is issued to a student who has successfully completed all requirements of an approved degree program of eight semesters and at least one separate full-time work term, of no less than 14 weeks, related to the professional field of study. This Degree will include the Coat of Arms and seal of Cambrian College and will be signed by the President and Registrar. The credential will be awarded at Convocation.

“Ontario College Graduate Certificate”
This is issued upon successful completion of a program that has an admission requirement of an Ontario College Diploma, Ontario College Advanced Diploma or equivalent and has a typical duration of 2 academic semesters or 600-700 equivalent instructional hours. This Certificate will include the Coat of Arms and seal of Cambrian College and will be signed by the President and Registrar. The credential will be awarded at Convocation.

“Ontario College Advanced Diploma”
This is issued to students who have successfully completed outcomes of a prescribed postsecondary program, typically six (6) academic semesters or 1800-2100 equivalent instructional hours in duration, approved by the College’s Board of Governors which meets all specific vocational learning outcomes as defined by provincial program standards, where they exist. This Diploma will include the Coat of Arms and seal of Cambrian College and will be signed by the President and Registrar. The credential will be awarded at Convocation.

“Ontario College Diploma”
This is issued to students who have successfully completed outcomes of a prescribed postsecondary program, typically four (4) academic semesters or 1200-1400 equivalent instructional hours in duration, approved by the College’s Board of Governors which meets all specific vocational learning outcomes as defined by provincial program standards, where they exist. This Diploma will include the Coat of Arms and seal of Cambrian College and will be signed by the President and Registrar. The credential will be awarded at Convocation.

“Ontario College Certificate”
This is issued to students who have successfully completed outcomes of a prescribed postsecondary program, typically two (2) academic semesters or 600-700 equivalent instructional hours in duration, approved by the College’s Board of Governors which meets all specific vocational learning outcomes as defined by provincial program standards, where they exist. This Certificate will include the Coat of Arms and seal of Cambrian College and will be signed by the President and Registrar. The credential will be awarded at Convocation.

“Certificate”
This is issued to students who have successfully completed a prescribed program; typically of 240-500 instructional hours in duration and in which grades are issued and successful completion of specific academic requirements are met. The Board of Governors of Cambrian College will approve these programs. Postsecondary preparatory programs such as ACE and tuition short vocational and trades programs fall within this category. This Certificate will include the Coat of Arms and seal of Cambrian College and will be signed by the President and Registrar. The credential will be awarded at Convocation.

“Other Official Recognitions”
The college will issue the following credentials:

“Certification of Successful Completion”
This is issued to students who have completed a prescribed program; typically of 64-240 hours in duration and in which grades are issued and successful completion of specific academic requirements are met. The College Executive committee will approve these programs. Continuing Education programs fall within this category. The Certificate of Successful Completion cannot be construed as an award to those not completing certificate, diploma or degree program requirements. This recognition will include the logo of Cambrian College and be signed by the President and the Registrar. The credential will be awarded at Convocation.

“Declaration of Standing”
This acknowledgment is issued to students who have attended a College learning activity for which some form of recognition is appropriate but for which no formal assessment was conducted and no grade issued. The Declaration of Attendance will include the logo of Cambrian College and be signed by the Registrar.

“Declaration of Attendance”
This acknowledgment is issued to students who have attended a College learning activity for which some form of recognition is appropriate but for which no formal assessment was conducted and no grade issued. The Declaration of Attendance will include the logo of Cambrian College and be signed by the Registrar.
Candidates for a declaration, certificate, diploma, or degree must have demonstrated integrity of character worthy of a responsible adult. The College, therefore, reserves the right to withhold a certificate, diploma or degree from candidates who have not met all their financial or other obligations with the College.

Graduate Standing
A student is awarded a designation (on his/her transcript) for programs governed by the Ontario Qualifications Framework of:

1. ‘Graduated Cambrian Scholar’ if he/she completed all program requirements with a program GPA between 3.50 and 4.00.

2. ‘Graduated with Honours’ if he/she has completed all the requirements of the program with a program GPA between 3.00 and 3.49.

3. ‘Cum Laude’ if he/she has completed all the requirements of the Degree program with a minimum program average of 80%.

Convocation
Convocation is held in late May, at which time certificates, diplomas and degrees are awarded to those students who have successfully completed all of the requirements for their program. Provisional graduates (students who are registered in programs that are deemed provisional) also participate in Convocation. If students cannot attend Convocation, the certificate, diploma or degree is mailed to their home after Convocation.

President’s Medals
The President's Medals, a gold and silver, are awarded annually to graduating students from any postsecondary program at Cambrian College. In awarding these medals, the selection committee considers those students nominated for the awards on their academic achievement, their technical ability, their significant contribution to college life through social and athletic interests, and their contribution to their community.

The gold and silver medals are accompanied respectively by a $2,000 and $1,500 scholarship. These prestigious awards are granted at Convocation.

Governor General’s College Academic Medal
Each year, the Governor General of Canada provides one medal to each college in Ontario. This prestigious medal is awarded to the Cambrian College graduate of a postsecondary diploma program who has achieved the highest overall academic average

APPENDIX 1
Promotion, Graduation, and Convocation
Policy Programs Requiring a 2.00 GPA for Promotion
VALID FOR 2010-11

Dental Assisting (DENA)
Dental Hygiene (DENH)
Medical Laboratory Technology  (MLTY)
Medical Radiation Technology (MRTY)
Paramedic (PARA)
Magnetic Resonance Imaging - Graduate Certificate (MRIP)
Practical Nursing (PNDP)
Diagnostic Medical Sonography – Ultrasound (USPG)

These programs do not qualify for probationary status and students in these programs with a GPA below 2.00 will be exited. This list will be reviewed and approved on an annual basis, by the Registrar and Vice President Academic.